Year 4 pupils in indecent assault claim

Police have investigated an allegation of indecent assault involving young students at an exclusive private boys school on Sydney's north shore.

The school community has been rocked by the claims, which have been reported to the Department of Community Services.

The Sun-Herald understands that a group of boys in year 4 invented a playground game dubbed ''the humping game''.

The mother of a boy at the school told The Sun-Herald the ''game'' involved two students holding a victim down while a third would pull his pants down and stroke his penis. The targets were generally new students and the perpetrators would warn their victims not to report what happened.

According to the woman, who did not wish to be named, the main perpetrator left the school in August but two accomplices are still enrolled. She believes the assaults have been going on for more than two years, with three victims leaving the school in that time.

There remains some dispute within the school as to how many perpetrators were involved and the exact number of victims.

NSW Police confirmed that officers from the child abuse squad have investigated a report of a 10-year-old boy being indecently assaulted at a primary school.

However, a police spokeswoman said that no further action would be taken. Police believe the victim is not at further risk.

The school addressed the issue in a newsletter sent to parents last term, saying that some of the claims were ''ridiculous'' and parents should not be concerned. Another mother involved with the school said the claims were very upsetting but could have been exaggerated.

The school principal said he was aware of the alleged incidents which he has reported to the Department of Community Services.

He declined to comment on the specifics of the case other than to say the school has dealt with the matters appropriately.

The president of the school's Parents and Friends Association said she was aware of the allegations but declined to comment further.

Victims of school bullying have won costly payouts in recent years.

In 2007, Benjamin Cox received a landmark $1 million after suing the state of NSW for bullying he endured at Woodberry Public School in the Hunter Valley in the 1990s.

Two former students of the exclusive Trinity Grammar boarding school were awarded settlements of up to $500,000 each in 2005 and 2003 after being sexually assaulted with a wooden implement known as the ''anaconda'' by four year 10 boarders.

Correction: The original version of this story incorrectly quoted police as saying no further action would be taken because they believed the victim was not at further risk. In fact, police did not link the victim's safety with the status of their investigation.